Card 758, Frankie Kemble, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is "Card 758, Frankie Kemble" from the Actors and Actresses series, dating from around 1885-1891. It’s a photograph printed for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It’s so fragile and ephemeral looking. What’s your take on this type of commercial work, Professor? Curator: Let's think about what's *actually* happening here: photographic prints becoming tools in the burgeoning tobacco industry. The real subject isn’t necessarily Frankie Kemble, but the industrial system making and circulating these cards. Does it shift our perception knowing these were essentially marketing materials? Editor: Definitely. So, the focus isn't so much on the art of photography but its role in… commerce? Curator: Precisely! Think of the processes involved: the actress posing, the photographer capturing the image, the factory printing thousands of copies. Then, imagine the consumption, the cards distributed with cigarettes, likely discarded after use. This represents a mass consumption that really took hold in that period. The card is more a reflection of societal processes than a work of ‘high art’ in the traditional sense. Editor: I guess I always thought of art being… separate from that. How did this widespread availability influence artistic value, and was mass-production perceived differently? Curator: Mass production challenges the traditional concept of artistic value, by calling attention to the materials. For example, was paper used as a cheap commodity to support the business. So instead of high art, maybe low materials! Editor: So by shifting our attention, it calls into question traditional notions around craft and art. It really turns my original expectations on their head, when applied to what seemed to be something made on a whim. Curator: Absolutely! Seeing it in this light creates opportunity to talk about something truly interesting.